Town Square

Arastradero Preserve eyed for tree influx

Original post made
on Jul 24, 2013

When it comes to trees, the golf course's loss may be Arastradero Preserve's gain. As Palo Alto looks for ways to mitigate the removal of 500 trees from the city-owned golf course, officials are looking to the nature preserve for a possible solution.

Posted by Common Sense
a resident of Green Acres
on Jul 24, 2013 at 12:26 am

How about helping us turn the property at Maybell into a community orchard, like Gamble Gardens only for trees? Saves around 100 EXISTING mature trees right there, a last remnant of historic orchard, trees that will otherwise be torn out, too, and creates a resource for the schools.

(PAHC may have misjudged and missed their funding application deadline anyway - the city staff report says the zoning ordinance doesn't go into effect until 31 days after the 2nd reading, which is end of July, and with a referendum, even later, but their deadline was July 3, and a basic requirement was having their zoning in place. Neighbors aren't likely to stop at the referendum, either, because the overdevelopment of that area affects children's safety.)

The staff and the Golf Advisory have spent much time dealing with the tree issue.

First the trees that are currently on the course were planted by the city and not all have done well. Many trees have simply died or fallen down or been blown down. Most of the trees need to be replaced with trees better suited to the area. These better suited trees will produce a better canopy then the ones slated for removal.

It should be noted that if the golf course was not there than nature would not have grown many trees. Just look north and south of the course and count the trees. It won't take many fingers and toes.

Posted by Emily Renzel
a resident of Crescent Park
on Jul 25, 2013 at 6:33 am

At the meeting at the Golf Course a couple of weeks ago, several of us objected to the removal of so many trees and also questioned offsite mitigation - especially at the Enid Pearson Arastradero Preserve. No mention is made in this article about the suggestion of planting some of the lost trees in Byxbee Park, which has very few trees and will have even less if the Energy Compost facility is built.

Posted by Craig Laughton
a resident of College Terrace
on Jul 26, 2013 at 12:00 pm

> No mention is made in this article about the suggestion of planting some of the lost trees in Byxbee Park, which has very few trees and will have even less if the Energy Compost facility is built.

I agree that the Arastradero Preserve should be reforested with native live oaks...it is a natural restoration. The landfill (Byxbee Park) is not such a good fit, because live oaks were never a major part of that wetland. However, given the choice of an irrational anaerobic digestion fiasco, or live oaks, I vote for live oaks, at least a few of them...and especially if they are planted on the undedicated park lands.

There is no need to plant large trees from nurseries...it is a waste of precious public funds...just plant seedling, and keep them watered for while...they will take off, because they are native trees.